EirQuest

Introducing young people to the world of work and higher education

Careers inspiration

An extensive careers guidance programme for students planning to take the Irish Leaving Certificate. EirQuest matches students’ interests and abilities with appropriate career areas and helps them to make soundly based and well-researched decisions.

Experience the joy of discovery

EirQuest analyses individual student responses to 300 questions, and produces an Interest Profile based on over 50 broad career areas. Students are given personal use of an online research platform with unlimited access to WORKBRIEF: a comprehensive, up-to-date source of over 550 careers.

EirQuest

Age 14 – 17 years

An Introduction to Careers

EirQuest builds a clear picture of a young person’s strongest occupational and academic interests, as well as their related abilities and personal qualities. In addition to detailing careers with which the student is likely familiar, it also highlights new possibilities that they may not have previously considered. Results are broken down into well-matched career areas (e.g. law) and related careers (e.g. barrister, solicitor).

EirQuest helps students by:

Revealing interests, inherent abilities, and personal qualities

Identifying from these, a range of interest-led careers across a wealth of industries

Providing a structured framework for research into the demands of potential careers

Establishing a basis for the choice of Leaving Certificate subjects to meet the entry requirements of future careers or courses

Acting as a focal point for discussions with staff and parents

Challenging their career choices by laying bare the realities and expectations of working in those occupations

Encouraging them to personally reflect on their results, consider their values, and address any preconceived notions

We have been using EirQuest & MyAptitude (formerly Cambridge Profile) for a number of years now, and get back very positive feedback, particularly from parents who are able to discuss the report at home with their son/daughter and find it is a great help for choosing subject and career choices.

Tony O’GaraSligo Grammar School

Appreciation of MyFutureChoice Programmes by Brian Mooney

“I administer MyAptitude Tests alongside the EirQuest interest inventory to all incoming 5th year students during Transition Year, prior to them making their Leaving Certificate subject choices.

To ensure the best use of the limited hours now available to all Guidance Counsellors to provide a comprehensive guidance service, I find the following system works well.

On receiving the results from MyFutureChoice, I present the findings of the students’ workbooks in three two-hour sessions to about thirty students accompanied by at least one parent. During the afternoon presentation some teaching colleagues drop by to explain their particular subject to both students and
parents. I finish the presentation by relating the full range of subjects on offer in 5th year to the findings in each student’s MyFutureChoice workbook.

Having used these instruments for many years now, I find them highly effective in facilitating student subject choices. The percentage of students who subsequently request a change is insignificant.

I have had a similar positive experience with MyUniChoices in helping students clarify their third level college choices at the beginning of 6th year. The MyUniChoices workbook provides each student with a detailed description of their preferred course areas and the relevant courses available in Ireland, the UK and in recent years, programmes taught exclusively in English across European universities. Therefore, I have no hesitation in recommending MyFutureChoice’s programmes to you, my colleagues.”

Brian Mooney is a Fellow and a former President of the Institute of Guidance Councellors

Frequently Asked Questions

Why a careers programme?

It is important for young people to select suitable Leaving Certificate subjects, to develop a greater awareness of their own possible career areas, and to organise the effects of rapidly changing trends in national and global employment. More than ever, students need a clear sense of purpose towards higher education and to be strongly motivated in their approach to academic and vocational work. EirQuest helps to focus these thoughts on possible careers, which can help the student in choosing their own Leaving Certificate subjects

What do students receive?

– Access to MyFutureChoice’s Student Portal for as long as they need it, including resources and supporting materials
– Online questionnaire
– Bespoke PDF report of results, which can be downloaded and shared as required by the student
– Access to WORKBRIEF
– Personal Reflection and Action Plans to help prepare for their next steps
– An overview of each broad career area, and in-depth descriptions of its corresponding careers
– Knowledge of important academic subjects required for entry to relevant HE courses
– Overall Match bar graphs to examine the relative strengths of significant supporting interest areas, and an explanation of their relevance

How does EirQuest operate?

Students complete a questionnaire about their interests, abilities, and personal qualities without pressure of time. Their answers are then analysed to produce a careers profile covering over 50 broad career areas.

The student’s feedback is presented in both a report format and via their interactive Student Portal. Using their personalised feedback, students are encouraged to reflect on their progress, complete an appropriate Action Plan making use of WORKBRIEF (the online resource of The Careers Directory), and acquire relevant work experience and advice.

MyAptitude is an optional set of aptitude tests, the results of which can be integrated into the student’s feedback for an understanding of key skills and potential areas of development. It is featured on the Irish Government’s Approved Aptitude Test list. Students receive their feedback in both report format and online, via their Student Portal.

How is the effectiveness of EirQuest assessed?

At MyFutureChoice, we place the technical quality of our career programmes and aptitude tests high on our list of priorities. The services of a well-established Occupational Psychologist, Dr Charles Johnson, are used to evaluate the technical characteristics and properties of all MyFutureChoice careers programmes and to ensure they meet acceptable standards of reliability and accuracy.

Supporting Materials and Resources

WORKBRIEF

WORKBRIEF is accessed by student’s completing EirQuest via their Student Portal. Careers are presented to the students using the acronym WORKBRIEF, headed as below

hat is involved?

pportunities for training

equirements for entry

ind of person

road outlook

elated occupations

mpact on lifestyle

arnings potential

urther information

These headings co-ordinate with the career analysis forms used in the EirQuest results report and career directory.

Degree Course Descriptions

Degree Course Descriptions is available as an online licensed resource as part of the MyUniChoices programme.

The descriptions cover over 110 degree course areas, giving information and guidance not easily available elsewhere. They are written by heads of department and senior lecturers at major universities – people who have expert knowledge of their courses from the inside, and understand the doubts and difficulties facing students.

Each description gives an overview of a typical course area, its content, career opportunities, related degrees, recommended reading and websites.

Additionally, each course has a Self-Check Questionnaire so that students can assess the suitability of a course (or make comparisons with another) using a list of 20 relevant items.

Online Resources

Student Portal

Each student is given access to their own Student Portal where they receive feedback, carry out research, and reflect on their findings. The Student Portal has numerous tools to assist with the student’s decision-making, eg. students can complete action plans and personal reflections. Students have the opportunity to revisit the programme as often as they like.

MyHQ

MyHQ is an online administration system for staff. It provides an archive for all EirQuest, MyAptitude, and MyUniChoices reports and enables staff to monitor the students’ progress. This facility ensures tutorial work and interviewing can take place seamlessly. There is also access to MyFutureChoice’s online resource library which include PowerPoint presentations, parent brochures, and other supportive documentation.